Commuters suffer as transporters hold strike

KARACHI: Public tran­s­port largely remained off the city roads on Thursday as transport operators obs­e­rved a citywide wheel-jam strike against electronic traffic challans, “heavy fines and other regulatory measures.” They also announced that the suspension of services would continue on Friday after talks with the government representatives ended without a breakthrough. The strike had a significant impact on daily commuters across the metropolis, as a large number of residents struggled to reach offices, factories, educational institutions and other destinations. Bus stops across the city witnessed long queues of passengers waiting for transport that never arrived, while many were forced to rely on ride-hailing services, private vehicles or alternative arra­ngements. The strike remained lar­g­ely effective throughout the day, with only a limited num­ber of vehicles seen on major arteries. Key arteries, including Sharea Fai­sal, M.A. Jinnah Road, Uni­v­ersity Road, Korangi Ro­ad, Rashid Minhas Road, Shahrah-i-Pakistan and I.I. Chundrigar Road, reported significantly fe­wer buses, mi­n­i­buses and coaches than on a normal working day. The strike was called by the Karachi Transport Ittehad primarily over concerns regarding the e-challan system, which transporters say has resulted in excessive financial penalties. Other issues raised by transport operators include alleged duplication of penalties through both electronic and manual challans, delays in promised government subsidies, vehicle fitness and permit procedures, insurance-related requirements, and concerns regarding biometric verification processes. The operations of government-run People’s Bus Service and BRT Green Li­ne, however, remained unaffected. Similarly, the ride-hailing services, along with rickshaws and Qingqis, were also operating as usual. According to transport representatives, nearly 8,000 buses, minibuses and coaches that normally operate in Karachi remained off the roads. “Negotiations with the